“And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 Have you ever had company arrive at your door unexpectedly and been overwhelmed? You rush around, trying to tidy up the house and at the same time welcome your guests. So many things go through your mind. Have they had lunch? If not, what can I prepare in a hurry? Imagine how Mary and Martha felt when Jesus and His disciples…
“Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)” Genesis 49:22-24 From the time that Joseph was a child, his father saw that he was different from his brothers. Part of this was because he was the son of Rachel, but he also had a pure spirit that contrasted with the others. Jacob blessed him with a coat of many colours such as a prince might wear. It seemed that he did not have to work in the fields like the others. Joseph dreamed dreams that we know today were prophetic of what was to come. It was probably not a wise choice for him to reveal them to his brothers because it caused them to envy and hate him. But God’s hand was upon him. The choices that he made later led him to the fulfillment of these prophecies. He chose to obey his father…
“I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,” Luke 15:18 There is an old chorus on my mind this morning, as I was thinking about the choices: Back to my Father and home, Back to my Father and home I will arise and go Back to my Father and home. Most of us are familiar with the story Jesus told about the Prodigal Son. This young man made wrong choices in his life. He desired he wanted to live his own life, so he asked his father to give him his inheritance early. With his pockets filled with money, he forsook his family home and ventured out into the world. At first, he had lots of friends and was enjoying life until his money ran out and his friends deserted him. He found himself feeding pigs, so hungry that he was willing to eat their food. At this low point in his life, he remembered what life had been like in his father’s house and made a wise choice to return. His father was waiting with open arms to receive him and restore him to…
“Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.” Hebrews 11:11 Sarah had to make many choices during her lifetime. One of the biggest ones was to believe that God’s promise to make Abraham a father of many nations was a promise that one day she would bear a son. Her life was not easy. Can you imagine how Sarah must have felt when Abraham announced that they were going on a journey, but he did not know what the…
“A wise man’s heart is at his right hand; but a fool’s heart at his left.” Ecclesiastes 10:2 KJV “A wise person chooses the right road, a fool takes the wrong one.” NLT While praying about what to write this month, the Lord keeps impressing the word “choices” upon my mind. There are so many stories in the Bible of people making choices – some good and some bad. As we look at their stories, the situations they faced, and the decisions they made, I hope that we can learn some lessons from them. A great American poet, Robert Frost, in his poem “The Road Not Taken” included the following: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Life is filled with choices. Each one we make has far-reaching results and consequences that affect our lives and the lives of others. God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. They were free to partake of every tree except one. We ask ourselves the question, “Why did Eve even go near that tree?” Surely, she had all the fruit she could eat without even…
A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. Isaiah 42:3 I love camping. There isn’t anything like building a fire, roasting marshmallows, and making yourself an ooey, gooey s’more. When you wake up in the morning after a night of indulging on marshmallows and graham crackers, there is just a remnant of ash, reminiscent of an all-consuming fire. It may look like all hope is lost. However, when you begin to move the ashes around you will see that there are red-hot embers burning underneath. Those embers still have a little fire left in them and when you put some kindling on top and begin to fan the flame, the fire will reignite. Some of you might feel like you have been cast away or feel like your fire has burnt out, but there is a hidden fire within you. Trust me, I’ve felt ice cold in my walk with God at times. If you feel that way today, I promise that there is still an ember burning in your life beneath any ash of failure or lack of ambition. How do I know this? Because…